Platforms like Google and Meta have doubled down on automation, and their tools are becoming more central to everyday planning, buying and optimisation. The shift is significant, but the real leadership challenge is helping teams understand how human judgement and platform expertise remain more important than ever.
A commercial airliner can apparently take off and land at its destination by itself, but who would fly on an airliner without a pilot!
AI Is Transforming Tasks, Not Replacing Strategy
AI streamlines repetitive tasks, crunches large datasets and adjusts campaigns in real time. Google's Performance Max and Meta's Advantage Suite show clear progress in automated creative, bidding, placements and audience targeting. These tools improve efficiency, but they still rely heavily on human direction and strategic alignment.
For example, Google Performance Max can find high intent users across Search, YouTube and Display. However, it cannot set a brand strategy, anticipate seasonality or understand audience nuance without human input. Likewise, Meta Advantage+ Shopping can optimise creative combinations at scale, but it requires a strategist to define the audience signals, the creative framework and the measurement approach.
AI enhances execution, but it cannot replace the thinking behind why a campaign exists or how it ladders up to business outcomes. This is where media professionals deliver irreplaceable value.
Curiosity Over Fear Helps Teams Adapt
AI should be framed as an opportunity for our teams to improve skills and elevate thinking. When teams view AI this way, they are more likely to engage with it.
Leaders can build a culture of curiosity by encouraging experimentation, sharing platform updates in team forums, and creating safe spaces to test new tools. This mindset helps people approach AI as something they can learn from, not compete against.
Google and Meta Examples Show Why Human Strategy Still Matters
AI powered tools often look simple, but their performance depends on the expertise behind them.
Example: Google
Performance Max can optimise across Google's entire ecosystem. However, without a strategist to guide asset creation, conversion tracking, audience signals, budget allocation and competitive positioning, the system can optimise toward the wrong outcomes.
For instance, without correct audience and creative inputs, Performance Max may favour low quality conversions, inflate volume focused metrics or reduce visibility into audience insights.
Only a platform specialist can interpret results, refine inputs and shape measurement frameworks that reflect business goals rather than default platform goals.
Example: Meta
Meta's Advantage+ Shopping reduces manual setup by automating placements, bidding and creative combinations. But humans still need to craft the creative direction, test brand led messages, segment audiences in a meaningful way, identify when the system is favouring lower value customers and run incrementality or lift testing.
Advantage+ works best when supported by a clearly defined funnel strategy. Without humans guiding creative, audience definition and testing methodology, results may look efficient but fail to contribute to long term brand or customer growth.
These examples show that while Meta and Google are heavily investing in AI, the strongest results come from thoughtful human guidance that shapes the system.
Upskilling Is a Leadership Priority
Technology will keep evolving. Upskilling ensures teams remain confident and capable. Leaders should build ongoing learning into everyday routines, including platform knowledge sessions, cross team demos, short training modules and shared testing roadmaps. When people feel prepared, they adopt AI tools with confidence rather than hesitation.
Shifting From Button Pushing To Systems Thinking
If AI handles much of the execution, the value of media teams sits in systems thinking. This involves seeing how channels work together, guiding how creative influences performance and connecting media results to commercial outcomes.
Leaders can support this shift by reframing briefs around business goals and creating space for teams to think strategically rather than simply operating platforms.
Ready to strengthen your media strategy and harness the full potential of AI enhanced advertising? Get in touch with an ADMATICian today to see how we can help.